Also known as: Locked Content, Premium Content, Content Upgrade
Gated content is premium material — an advanced strategy PDF, a custom indicator, a market report, or a video course — that a visitor can only access after handing over something of value, usually an email address, a phone number, or a funded broker account opened under the partner's link. The content is the incentive; the contact detail is the payment.
Gated content is the primary lead-capture mechanism in the affiliate funnel. Ungated content builds reach and trust (demand generation); gated content converts that attention into identifiable leads you can market to repeatedly. The exchange only works when the perceived value of the asset clearly exceeds the small friction of filling in a form.
Gating quality has a direct, measurable effect. A well-known free guide sitting behind an email wall might convert 20–40% of the visitors who reach it, whereas a weak or easily Googleable asset converts in low single digits and can damage trust. Some IBs raise the bar deliberately: instead of an email, they require an active account number opened under their IB link, which yields fewer but far higher-quality, revenue-generating leads.
The trade-off is reach versus capture. Every gate reduces the number of people who consume the content but increases the share who become contactable leads. Partners tune the height of the gate — email only, email plus phone, or full account registration — to the value of the asset and the quality of lead they need.
Gated content works on a simple value exchange. The partner creates an asset a target trader genuinely wants, then places a form — the gate — between the visitor and the download or access. When the visitor submits their details, the asset unlocks and the contact enters the partner's CRM or email tool for follow-up nurturing toward a broker signup.
The height of the gate determines lead quality. A low gate (email only) maximises the number of leads but includes many tyre-kickers; a high gate (an active account number under the IB link) filters aggressively so that almost every lead is already a funded, revenue-generating client. Partners often run both: a low gate for list-building and a high gate for premium assets tied directly to a broker registration.
Build something a target trader can't easily find for free — a proven strategy guide, a custom indicator, or a data-rich market report.
Decide what to require: email only for reach, email plus phone for warmer leads, or an account number under your link for the highest-quality leads.
Use a landing page or opt-in form so the asset only unlocks after the visitor submits the required details.
Send the asset instantly and record the lead in your email tool or CRM with the source and interest tagged.
Follow up with a sequence that builds trust and guides the lead to open and fund a broker account under your link.
Why it matters for partnership: Gating high-value resources is one of the fastest ways for IBs to build an email list and push users to open funded accounts under their link. It turns passive traffic into contactable, monetisable leads.
An IB promoting IC Markets gates a 'Top 5 Price Action Strategies' PDF behind an email form on a landing page. Of 2,000 monthly visitors who reach it, about 30% (600) opt in. A follow-up sequence converts roughly 8% of those to funded accounts — around 48 new clients a month — each generating ongoing per-lot rebates for the IB.
| Aspect | Gated Content | Ungated Content |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Requires contact details or signup | Freely available |
| Primary goal | Capture leads | Build reach and trust |
| Reach | Lower (form friction) | Higher |
| Funnel role | Convert attention to leads | Attract and educate |
For your highest-value assets, gate on an active account number opened under your IB link rather than just an email — you capture fewer leads but almost every one is a funded, revenue-generating client.
Gating low-quality or easily Googleable information, which frustrates visitors, spikes form abandonment, and damages the brand trust your funnel depends on.
Gate assets with clear, hard-to-find value: proven strategy guides, custom indicators, data-rich market reports, or exclusive courses. The stronger the asset, the higher your opt-in rate.
It depends on your goal. Email-only gates build a large list; requiring an account number under your link captures fewer but far higher-quality, revenue-generating leads.
The gated asset itself isn't indexed, so keep a strong ungated landing page around it to rank and attract traffic. Gate the download, not the discoverability.
A compelling asset on a focused landing page often converts 20–40% of the visitors who reach it. Weak or generic content typically converts in low single digits.
They overlap closely. A lead magnet is the valuable asset offered; gating is the mechanism of putting it behind a form. In practice partners use the terms interchangeably.
Yes — under rules like GDPR and CAN-SPAM you need a lawful basis and clear consent to market by email. State clearly at the gate that opting in means you'll contact them.